vip in the city, page 75

No photos tonight… Just set foot in the hotel about half an hour ago and writing this from the lone computer station off the hotel Front Desk.

Almost missed my flight from HKG; I had forgotten what an inordinate amount of time it takes to pass through Immigration in Hong Kong, coming or going. After racing into the plane minutes before the doors closed, we proceed to sit on the runway. And sit… and sit. After about half an hour, during which the passengers sat in silent confusion/annoyance, the pilot came over the PA with an announcement of a “customer issue” causing the delay, which brought to mind the mysterious “sick passenger” announcement on the NYC subway. Whatever the “issue” was, it was resolved minutes later and we were off.

Uneventful flight… and upon arrival in SGN (half an hour late), I collected my luggage and stepped into the greeting hall where I was met with one of the most chaotic scenes I’ve ever encountered at an airport. Masses of people, some with signs, most shouting and gesturing. Within seconds, I was accosted by three rather aggressive taxi drivers, offering to assist with my luggage, asking about my destination. I tried to decline as politely as possible, secretly wishing I had made arrangements with the hotel for a meet and greet upon arrival, but two of the three continued to tail me as I exited the airport gates, searching for the taxi line. As I made my way to what appeared to be the end of the line (or rather, crowd), both drivers asked my destination. Considering my options, I announced it and asked the price, to which they responded simultaneously with “$12” and “$15”. The hotel had approximated the cost at $6-7, so uh… no, thanks. This seemed to set off an argument between the two (I’m guessing over how to more effectively engage in collusion), at which point I spied a fourth taxi driver — this one in an official SaigonTourist uniform. He offered to deliver me to my destination for $6. Done.

The driver spoke decent English and during the fifteen minute ride, we chatted briefly about Vietnamese history as he pointed out the attractions we passed along the way. At the hotel, I was greeted with smiles and a bottle of very cold water.

Whew.

From my final afternoon in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Island as seen from the Star Ferry:

Billboard in Tsim Tsa Tsui, Kowloon:

Final look at the view from the Kowloon promenade.

Before I check out, the view from my hotel room on the 25th floor:

And from Pok Fu Lam, where the Europeans first discovered Hong Kong Island:

I’ll be back.

Title shoutout to B, without whom this site would not be possible.

After Sunday dimsum brunch in Tai Po (about an hour out of Central Hong Kong), E., M. and S. took me on a tour of Hong Kong’s specialty markets. Despite the opressive heat and humidity, crowds abound.

At the Electronics Market, located in the older section of Hong Kong, in Kowloon. E. noted that the surrounding buildings were “more than forty years old!”, which apparently makes them ancient by Hong Kong standards.:

From there, it was a quick taxi ride to “Flower Market Street” — not the same as Fa Yuen (Flower Garden) Street, which is known for its sneaker stores. M. and S. seemed very amused by my error. Funny American cousin!

Flowers, in general, are a lot less expensive than in NYC and and the variety is astounding. If I weren’t flying out tomorrow, I would bring some back for the hotel room. Here, a lotus flower:

And bunches of flowers, wrapped in newspaper:

Orchids, too, including many varieties not available in the United States.

Nearby we visited “Bird Market” street. The din of chirping and squawking was such that I could hear we were in the proximity well before spying a single feather:

The parrots, by the way, speak Chinese, naturally. “Nay ho mah!”:

Also came upon a wedding photo shoot taking place among the birdcage stands. A little strange, but very glamorous!

More markets. Here an overhead shot of last night’s “Ladies Street”, taken from the pedestrian walk above.:

At the tropical fish market. This one is a large, highly prized red dragon fish — US$2500.00(!). For the more budget-minded, the store also carries golden dragon fish for about US$150.00: similar, but paler and white/golden in color. Due to their aggressive fighting nature, each fish was kept in its own tank. At the front of the store was a smaller tank full of squirming hairless baby mice for sale… as dragon fish food. Eeek.:

These fish are dyed assorted, lurid colors… which seems just wrong somehow.:

At every turn, street food. Roasted meats, fish balls, squid, sausage…

Stuffed intestines…

Puddings, with red bean, wrapped in lotus leaf:

…and Hong Kong cakes!:

Yum.

Hong Kong’s Mong Kok — translated as “flourishing or busy corner” — is an area famous for its night markets where tourists and locals descend to buy a dizzying array of goods including lower-end electronics, fresh produce, clothing, toys, snacks, CDs, DVDs, knock-off designer bags, quasi-antiques, local crafts, and what can politely be referred to as “marital aids.” Lining the streets are a seemingly incongruous assortment of open air food stalls and fortune tellers.

To give a sense of the variety, here are some shots from earlier tonight, taken with my brand new Canon PowerShot. Aforementioned marital aids not included.

Produce stand:

Mangosteen:

Temple Street Market:

Semi-precious stone dealers:

Buddhas:

“Dragon beard candy” vendor:

Mao statues:

The scene in front of Causeway Bay’s Times Square Jumbotron at 11:00PM:

First full day in Hong Kong got off to an early start. After a traditional Hong Kong breakfast at the hotel of vegetable & pork vermicelli soup and glutinous rice dumpling, E. met us and the three of us took the hotel shuttle into Wan Chai. There began our six hour mini-tour of the Hong Kong government offices.

Although not the primary reason for the trip, one of the things Dad had hoped to accomplish this week was to register for a new Hong Kong identity card. First introduced in 1949, the cards were used to identify native Hong Kong residents from the influx of mainland Chinese into the relatively prosperous British colony. The credit-card sized ids, both then and now, grant a host of privileges not available to outsiders.

In the 1950’s, the cards were constructed of laminated cardboard; today they’re embedded with microchips that hold name, birthdate, gender, residential status, and the digital template of both thumbprints. We had booked an appointment online through the Registration of Persons Offices website, so once there, we were ushered in immediately to start the paperwork. To his credit, the clerk was seemingly unfazed by the “classic” nature of the card we brought in for replacement.

Two hours (and that only because their system suffered a temporary crash — unrelated to us, we’re pretty sure), a digital photo and two thumbprint scans later, we were set. Armed with Dad’s new interim Certificate of Identity, we proceed on to Phase II: the Immigration Department four floors below to apply for a Hong Kong passport. More photos, more paperwork, more photocopies, pay at the “Schroff”… Done. Because we produced a ticket showing an impending outbound flight, we were able to rush the new passport for Monday pick-up.

While most of this was going on, I was able to wander the Hong Kong Convention Center next door to snap a few photos of the very hazy Hong Kong Harbor.

Yes, the day was just as steamy and dreary as it looks.

Phase III: To Shau Kei Wan for a visit to China Travel Service to apply for a Home Visit Permit. The travel documents, used in conjunction with the Hong Kong ID, allow the holder to travel into China without a visa and to speed through the notoriously long exit/entry waits at the Hong Kong border.

From the Shau Kei Wan area markets:

Lychee and durians

Jackfruit

Three government ids in six hours. Not bad for a half day’s efforts.

So 24 hours after leaving my parents’ house, I arrived in Hong Kong. Not much to be said about the flight, other than that it felt rather cramped and very, very long. On the SFO-HKG leg of the journey, the plane’s audio system went out, and the passengers were forced to sit through “Hoodwinked,” “Wimbledon,” “Tristan and Isolde,” and “King Kong” without the benefit of sound. Could have been worse: none of the films were particularly high on my must-see list, and King Kong (which I’d already seen during its theatrical run) suffered suprisingly little in dialogue-less form. The crew distributed adjustment forms to everyone in the cabin, so we could each receive restitution for the snafu. Will be interesting to see how the “inconvenience” of missing out on Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany gamely uttering such lines as “Love means nothing in tennis” will translate into goodwill mileage points.

E. and B. met us at the airport and accompanied us via the spotless and efficient airport shuttle into Central Hong Kong. From there, it was a quick ride in one of Hong Kong’s ubiquitous red taxicabs to the hotel… and it was there where I suffered the first casualty of the trip.

And boy, was it a doozy. After settling into the room, I went to grab my trusty camera, hoping to snap a few Hong Kong nightlife shots after dinner. And yet, it was nowhere to be found. Pocket? Nope. Tote bag? Nope. A casual search became increasingly frenzied and desperate, and after retracing all my steps I came to the heart-sinking realization that after I toting my camera halfway around the world, I’d left the darn thing in the taxi, five minutes away from the hotel. %$#@!.

In the interest of bright-side seeking, I will allow that if such a thing is to happen — such a stupid, thoughtless thing — it’s infinitely better to happen on the first night of a trip rather than the last. And truth be told, it wasn’t all that nice a camera (though I would have much preferred to part ways with it on my own terms.) Tomorrow morning, I set out to find myself suitable replacement.

So sadly, no pics tonight. The travelogue will now be missing my shots from the HK International Airport, including the temperature check station at Customs, but otherwise, not much else.

Here’s someone else’s photo of the Causeway Bay shopping district, where my hotel is located. Yes, I realize this is cheating.:

More tomorrow… with photos (I hope.)

Five hours until take-off…

Local weather for Hong Kong (via weather.com):
Mostly Cloudy. 86°F Feels Like 96°F

Local weather for Ho Chi Minh City:
Partly Cloudy. 88°F Feels Like 101°F (!!!)

Egads.